Inking mechanism for printing presses



April 29,1930.

4 A. SCHMIDT INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed July 30, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l AAP I ,lml

April 29, 1930. sc 1,756,308

INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed July 50, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 29, 1930 barren masts ear I mcr Louis A. son urn'r, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AssIenoR To B. nor: & 'oo.,'11vo., or

NEW YORK, 1v. Y., A oonronn'rroiv or NEW YORK INKING MECHANISM FOR RINTING PRESSES 7 Application filed July 30,

The present invention relates to inking mechanism for printing presses, especially rotary presses which print on a continuous web of paper'which is subsequently cut into -5 sheets and folded. Such presses are usually provided with an inking cylinder onwhich ink is deposited by any suitable means. It

is then distributed over the surface of'the cylinder by ink rollers having a composition covering and supported so as to be driven by surface contact with the inking cylinder. In ad- 'dition to their rotary motion, these rollers are given an endwise motion or vibrated and the resulting relative motion betweenthem and the ink cylinder causes the ink to be spread over the cylinder in an even film, which is requisite to high quality printing.

While the vibrating rollers heretofore used satisfactorily"distribute the ink when a sufli- 2.0 cient number of them are employed, the mechanism required to impartthe vibratory motion to themis complicated, subject to excessive wear, and in operation consumes considerable power. Theinventionherein disclosed obviates the disadvantages inherent in this part of the inking; mechanism heretofore used. c

. An object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of inkrollers that without be- 3, ing vibrated will properly distribute the ink on the inking cylinder.

Another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of ink rollers that will properly distribute the ink "and that is operated by simple mechanism.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an arrangement of inkrollers of generally improved design, whereby the mechanismwill be simple, durable and inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient,practi- 1; cal, serviceable andeficient in itsus'e;

With the foregoing and other, objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides inthe combinationand arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in theprecise embodiment of the in-' vention herein disclosed may be made within inders and is driven by friction.

192s. Serial mama,

the: scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Figure 1 shows in diagrammatic form, a side view of a portion of a rotary web press showing the improved ink rollers and the method of driving them that are the subject of the invention disclosed herein; c Figure 2 is a fragmentary view showingthe improved ink rollers as viewed in the direction of arrow 2 of Figure 1; c Figure 3 is a view-similar to Figurel' but showing the invention in a modified form Figure 4: is a viewsimilar to Figure 2 show ing the arrangement as viewed in the direction of arrow 4: of Figure 3; and s Figure 5 isa fragmentary view of a'modified form of ink roller that can be used, with this invention. 1

Referring to-the drawings, 11 indicates the frame of the press. Only oneframe is shown but it will be understood that similar frames are used on both sides of the press. An impression cylinder 12 and a plate or form cylinder l? comprise a printing couplebetween which the web 14 passes to receive the impression. They are geared together by gearing which is omitted from the drawing for clearness.

A gear 15, secured to the plate cylinder l meshes with an idler 16 which also meshes -with a gear 17 secured to the secondary ink cylinder 18 and meshes with gears 23, 24 and 25 keyed to'the-sha'fts of the distributing rollers 26, 27 and 28. 7 It will thus be understood that the gearing provides meansfor rotating the primary and secondary ink distributing cylinders and also the ink'distributingrollers which will be described hereinafter.

A. transfer roller 29 is supportdin suitable bearings with its surface in contact with the" primary and secondary ink distributing cyl- The form rollers 30 and, 31 are similarly driven, being ill supported in running contact with the cylinder 18 and the printing plates carried on the cylinder 13.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that ink deposited on the primary ink distributing cylinder 21 will pass to the transfer cylinder 29, thence to the secondary ink distributing cylinder 18,:thence to the form rollers and 31 and then to the plates carried by the cylinder 13. v

Following the usualrpractice, the gearing may be so arranged that the primary and secondary ink distributing cylinders are rotated at the same peripheral speed as the plate cylinder. The gearing for driving the ink distributing rollers however, is proportioned to drive them at a peripheral speed somewhat different from the speed of the cylinders.

The rollers 26 and 27 may be coated with any suitable material molded on the cores 32 and 33, the ends of the cores being reduced in diameter and journaled in suitable bearings not shown on the drawings. The peripheral surfaces of all of these rollers may be smooth like the roller 28 or they may be formed with helically disposed grooves as shown at 26' and 27, dividing the surfaces of the rollers into alternately raised and depressed strips. In the preferred construction these grooved rollers are used in pairs one roller (27) being grooved in the manner of a right hand thread while the other (26) is grooved in the manner of a left hand thread. It will be understood that when, as

in Figure 1, the gearing is proportioned to drive these rollers at a great-er peripheral speed than the ink cylinder, 18, and in a clockwise direction, the grooves in the roller 26 will tend to move the ink on the cylinder from left to right as viewed in Figure 2, while the grooves in the roller 27 will tend to move the ink on the cylinder from'right to left. The combined action of the rollers 26 and 27 results in distributing the ink end- Wise'on the surface of the cylinder, which then passes on into engagement with the smooth roller 28. This roller as shown in Figures land 2 is also driven at a greater peripheral speed than the cylinder 18 and it tends to-spread the ink circumferentially on the cylinder. Thus as a result of the action of all of the rollers, the ink is evenly distributed over the entire circumferential surface of the cylinder. g It is apparent that if the gearing is proportioned to drive the ink rollers slower than the cylinder that an equivalent result will be obtained, although in such case the grooves in the roller 26 will act to move the ink from right to left, and those in the roller 27 will move the ink from left to right, or in the reverse directions from the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2.

InFigures 3 and 1 an additional gear 3 1 is secured to the cylinder 18 and meshes with the gear 35 on the roller 26. This gear ratio causes the roller 26 to rotate at a slower peripheral speed than the cylinder 18. WVith this arrangement the roller 26 is made with a groove forming a left hand helix and it will be understood that it will tend to move the ink on the cylinder from left to right. l Vith this arrangement the grooved rollers are made alike but the relative action of their grooves with regard to the cylinder is similar to that in the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the resulting ink distribution is the same.

The roller shown in Figure 5 is made with a modified arrangement of grooves. In this construction a number of short grooves which taper in depth at the ends so they meet the circumference of the cylinder, are helically disposed on the surface of the roller. This arrangement is considered preferable with some kinds of ink and it will be understood that it can be adapted to the arrangement shown in either Figures 1 and 2, or Figures 3 and 1. g V

' The arrangement in which the ink rollers are all made with smooth surfaces will satisfactorily distribute some kinds of ink. With this arrangement the difierence in the peripheralspeed of the roller and the cylinder causes a rubbing action between them which effectively spreads the ink over the surface of the cylinder. 1

What I claim is:

1. In an inking mechanism for a printing press, an ink distributing cylinder, an ink roller having its peripheral surface helically grooved and in operative engagement with the cylinder, and means for rotating the cylinder at one peripheral speed and the roller at a diiferent'speed.

2. In an inking mechanism fora printing press, an ink distributing cylinder, an ink roller having a helically formed raised portion on its periphery, and in operative engagement with the cylinder, and means for rotating the cylinder at one peripheral speed and the roller at a different speed.

'3. In an inking mechanism for a printing press, an ink distributing cylinder, an ink roller having its peripheral surface divided into strips helically disposed, certain of said strips being raised above the other strips, said roller being in operative engagement with the cylinder, and means for rotating the cylinder at one peripheral speed and the roller at a different speed.

4. In an inking mechanism for a printing press, an ink distributing cylinder, an ink roller having its peripheral surface grooved angularly with respect to planes perpendicular to its axis, said roller being in operative engagement with the cylinder, and means for rotating the cylinder at one peripheral speed and the roller at a different speed.

5. In an inking mechanism for a printing press, an ink distributing cylinder, a plurality of ink rollers having their peripheral surfaces grooved angularly with respect to planes perpendicular to their axes, the grooves on one of the rollers being angularly disposed in one direction and the grooves on another of the rollers beingiangularly dis- 7 posed in the opposite direction, said rollers being in operative engagement with the cyl- 10 inder, and means for rotating the cylinder at one peripheral speed and the rollers at a different speed. v 6. In an inking mechanism for aprinting press, an ink distributing cylinder and a plurality of ink rollers having their peripheral (surfaces grooved angularly with respect to their-transverse planes, the grooves on one of the rollers being angularly disposed in one direction and the grooves on another of the rollers being angularly disposed in the op posite direction, said rollers being in operative engagement with the cylinder.

7. In an inking mechanism for a printing press, an ink distributing cylinder, a shaft 5 supporting anrink roller having its peripheral surface grooved angularly with respect to its transverse plane, said roller being in operative engagement with the cylinder, a gear on the shaft, and a gear secured to the so cylinder and meshing with the gear on the shaft whereby the roller is rotated at a peripheral speeddiifering from the peripheral speed of the cylinder. v

8. In an inking mechanism for a printing press, an ink distributing cylinder, a plurality of ink distributing rollers, said rollers be ing in operative engagement only with the cylinder, means to rotate the cylinder and means to rotate the rollers at a peripheral speed that is different fromthe peripheral speed -of the cylinder.

9. In an inking mechanism for a printing press, an ink distributing cylinder, a plurality of ink distributing rollers, said rollers being in operative engagement only with the cylinder, means to rotate the cylinder, means to rotate the rollers at a peripheral speed that is difi'erent from the peripheral speed of the cylinder, and means to rotate one roller at a peripheral speed that is different from that of another roller.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

LOUIS A. SCHMIDT. 

